Virus attack
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Discussion

sb-1

Original Poster:

3,362 posts

287 months

Sunday 25th July 2004
quotequote all
I managed to pick up a couple of viruses on my Mac......I thought this couldn't happen on a Mac......how did it come about,anyone know?

Steve

trooper1212

9,457 posts

276 months

Sunday 25th July 2004
quotequote all
sb-1 said:
I managed to pick up a couple of viruses on my Mac......I thought this couldn't happen on a Mac......how did it come about,anyone know?

Steve


As there are only a dozen or so Mac viruses at the moment, and none of them are currently in the wild, I doubt that is the case.

What are the symptoms?

sb-1

Original Poster:

3,362 posts

287 months

Monday 26th July 2004
quotequote all
trooper1212 said:


sb-1 said:
I managed to pick up a couple of viruses on my Mac......I thought this couldn't happen on a Mac......how did it come about,anyone know?

Steve




As there are only a dozen or so Mac viruses at the moment, and none of them are currently in the wild, I doubt that is the case.

What are the symptoms?



I had an e.mail from McAfee saying that my e.mail address was being used to forward the Sasser B virus to hundreds of users....

I have now downloaded Norton Antivirus for Mac,scanned the HD which found some infected files and quarantined them.

Steve

PS:- Is this some sort of sales ploy then!?

>> Edited by sb-1 on Monday 26th July 08:01

trooper1212

9,457 posts

276 months

Monday 26th July 2004
quotequote all
sb-1 said:


I had an e.mail from McAfee saying that my e.mail address was being used to forward the Sasser B virus to hundreds of users....

I have now downloaded Norton Antivirus for Mac,scanned the HD which found some infected files and quarantined them.

Steve

PS:- Is this some sort of sales ploy then!?


Not quite a sales ploy...

You received the email because the Sasser virus spoofs its sent address. Somebody who has your email address in their address book has the virus, the virus chose your address to spoof as the sent address when sending from their machine.
A fair number of email systems "helpfully" send emails to the original sender when it finds out you have a virus, which is all well and good until you realise that every virus these days spoofs its sending address.

The virus scanner found the files because you have been sent them via email. The Mac cannot run these files and they will just sit in your mailbox harmlessly.

sb-1

Original Poster:

3,362 posts

287 months

Monday 26th July 2004
quotequote all
Thanks trouper,

at least I understand 'how' now.....to some extent.

but how come norton has quarantined some files that can't be repaired?

Steve

trooper1212

9,457 posts

276 months

Monday 26th July 2004
quotequote all
sb-1 said:

but how come norton has quarantined some files that can't be repaired?



Not having used Norton, I'd assume that it quarantined them because they aren't Mac files and cannot be repaired as there is nothing to repair them too...

Most AV software quarantines files rather than deleting them in case they are important and your PC screws up completely without them, that way you can get them back if you need to.

sb-1

Original Poster:

3,362 posts

287 months

Monday 26th July 2004
quotequote all
Just had another dodgy e.mail for the NORMAN AV research team!!

sb-1

Original Poster:

3,362 posts

287 months

Monday 26th July 2004
quotequote all
trooper1212 said:

sb-1 said:

but how come norton has quarantined some files that can't be repaired?




Not having used Norton, I'd assume that it quarantined them because they aren't Mac files and cannot be repaired as there is nothing to repair them too...

Most AV software quarantines files rather than deleting them in case they are important and your PC screws up completely without them, that way you can get them back if you need to.


Thanks,trouper.